A Light in the Darkness
by Saint Bennithy
Summary: After going through a rough patch, Toph is there to cheer Sokka up. But things are about to change for both of them. Fluff piece. Rated T just to be safe. NOTICE: Currently on hold due to personal issues. I promise I will finish this story as soon as I feel better, I just can't promise when that will be.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Will you all just hold still for a minute?" The water tribe boy shouted, followed by an exasperated sigh. Sokka sat to one side of the room, diligently working on his next "masterpiece". The war was now over, and Sokka wanted to paint a picture of all his friends, both old and new, to commemorate the occasion.

"There we are! Come take a look!" He excitedly cried. Everyone gathered around his work table and took a close look at his painting of them. Their silent, confused stares spoke volumes. One by one, they started chiming in with questions about what was happening in the picture, and why they didn't look anything like themselves. Sokka growled to himself and shoved the painting into his robe, where no one could make fun of it.

Seeing that Sokka was visibly irritated with them, his friends slowly drifted away from his work table to tend to other business. Iroh went back into the kitchen to fetch another pot of his famous tea. Zuko disappeared down a hallway with Mai, probably going to take care of some official business as the new Fire Lord. Momo scampered across the room, and then flew out the window in pursuit of some figment of his imagination. Aang turned and strolled out onto the patio, followed closely by Katara. For months now, Sokka had watched as Aang had fallen head over heels for Katara, and as Katara slowly admitted to herself that she was in love with Aang. He was proud of his sister and Aang.

But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. He wondered why he didn't have the luck everyone else seemed to have. As this crossed his mind, his eyes and thoughts turned to the girl in question.

Suki had wandered off to take in more of the sights and sounds of Ba Sing Se. After they had reunited in the city square earlier that day, Suki wanted to come to terms with what their relationship was, and where it was heading. They had a long talk, but in the end, Suki decided she wanted to end things between them. She said she just wasn't feeling that "spark" she was looking for. She said she still wanted to be friends, and although Sokka was heartbroken, he agreed. Despite the fact that she had just shattered his heart, he still liked her as a friend, and didn't want to lose that friendship with her.

After his short but meaningful relationship with Princess Yue, Sokka had been scared to get into another relationship. Having such a great relationship end so suddenly and tragically dealt a heavy blow to his heart and ego. He decided to give upon dating for a while and just focus on the mission at hand. But then, when he least expected it, Suki came back into his life. Without even trying to, he realized that she was just right for him. He felt like she completed him. But now, it was obvious that she never felt the same way. Sokka started to think back through their relationship to see where things might have gone wrong.

However, Sokka's little trip down memory lane was cut short and he snapped back to the present when he heard a familiar voice calling.

"Hey, Snoozles!"

Sokka looked up to see his friend Toph sitting on the other side of the room, bending the meteor bracelet he had given her into various shapes. While he was lost in thought, he hadn't noticed that everyone but her had left the room.

"What's eatin' ya?" She asked him.

"Oh, um, nothing" He mumbled.

At this, Toph stamped her foot down on the floor as a harsh look swept across her face. Although she couldn't see him, she glared at him from across the room.

She growled at him "We both know something is wrong. Don't even try to lie to me, you know I can feel your pulse, and it says that something isn't right".

He blushed. "I really don't want to talk about it…" He mumbled softly.

When she heard the sincerity and hurt in Sokka's voice, Toph's body language and demeanor visibly shifted and seemed more sympathetic. She felt ashamed of herself for snapping at him when he was in such a sorry state. For one of the few times in her life, Toph had no idea what to say or do.

Sokka managed to gather up enough courage to quietly say "Suki…"

"Oh Sokka, I'm really, really sorry for you. Is there, uh, anything I can do for you?" Toph gently asked.

Sokka shifted a bit in his chair and faced away from her.

"Not that I can think of." He murmured.

Toph sat and puzzled over what to do. Then suddenly, her face lit up.

"I got it!" She exclaimed.

At this, Sokka turned his head toward her, his interest peaked.

"Huh?"

"I know what will make you feel better! Let's go to the zoo! You know, the one Aang built a while ago?" She said as she smiled from ear to ear.

"Oh… I don't know, Toph…" He sighed, got up from his seat, and started slowly walking towards the door.

"Please?" She pleaded. "I know we would both have fun!"

Sokka stopped in his tracks. He wanted to just be alone right now. But something about the tone of her voice won him over. Sokka thought that maybe what he needed was to do something fun to take his mind off of Suki. He also didn't want to disappoint Toph, who was very excited to go. He had never been to a zoo before, but had always wanted to. He turned to Toph and put on the best fake smile he could under the circumstances.

"Alright, deal."

"Yes!" Toph shouted as she ran across the room and gave Sokka a big hug. "It'll be fun, trust me!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next morning, Toph woke up at the crack of dawn. She wanted to make sure they had as much time in the day to spend at the zoo. She dressed herself quickly and then ran out the door to go over to Sokka's house. After they had returned to Ba Sing Se at the war's end, the city gave them each a small but fine house in the heart of the city. Sokka's house was only a couple streets away from Toph, so she ran there instead of taking the train.

She made it to Sokka's house in only a few minutes and dashed up to the door, a smile filling her face. Although she was excited, it wasn't because she loved the zoo. In fact, she didn't enjoy the zoo at all. All she could see with her feet were the rocks in the exhibits, and she could only feel the footsteps of all the animals and people. The real reason she was so ecstatic was that she got to hang out with Sokka. He was her best friend, and she had always thought he was both the funniest and coolest guy she had ever met. He had the best sense of humor of anyone she'd ever met, and never failed to make her laugh. Although sometimes he could be a jerk or forget about her blindness, she knew he really meant well and was a very good friend. A couple times, she had even caught herself liking him as more than a friend. Every time though, she would just laugh to herself and think how silly the idea was.

She knocked once on his door, and then waited for a response. Nothing. She tried again, this time knocking a bit louder than before. Still no answer. The third time, she pounded on the door and shouted "Sokka, are you in there?"

Yet again, he didn't answer. Toph figured that he was still asleep. She put her hand on the metal door and felt all of the inner workings of the lock. Using her metalbending, she opened the lock and immediately headed straight for Sokka's room. Toph burst into his room, and with a stomp of her right foot, launched Sokka out of his bed with a rock.

"Wakey wakey Snoozles!" She shouted while laughing.

Sokka crashed right onto the floor and the immediately jumped up, trying to figure out what happened. He was in the best fighting stance he could pull off at the moment, and ready to unleash his tired fury on any attacker. But once he saw that it was only Toph, his arms flopped to his side, and he frowned at her.

"You love doing this to me, don't you Toph?" He grumbled.

She ran across the room and gave him a hug.

"Good morning sleepy-head!" She laughed.

Toph let go of him and said "Now come on, go get ready, we've got a big day ahead of us!"

Sokka hung his head and sighed at the thought of having to do something other than sleep. His sigh was immediately followed by a rough but friendly punch on the arm by Toph. Sokka then shuffled off to the bathroom to get ready, while Toph sat down on the edge of his bed and relaxed.

In his bathroom, Sokka slowly went through his usual morning routine. He changed out of his sleeping clothes and into his usual tunic and boots. He grabbed his knife from the floor where he had absentmindedly tossed it the night before and shaved off the little hairs of his moustache that were beginning to grow back in again. Then he sat in front of the mirror and began trying to put his hair up in the traditional wolf tail style. It was difficult work after such a sudden awakening from such a sleepless night.

The night before, Sokka had barely slept, his mind going over the breakup with Suki. Much of the night was spent quietly crying and wondering what he had done wrong, and how he was to blame. But after spending most of the night reliving every single moment with Suki, Sokka came to a realization. He didn't know exactly what the cause was, but he knew he wasn't to blame. He had tried his best, but in the end, she hadn't found what she wanted. Although that thought mildly angered Sokka, it mostly served to calm him down. While he wasn't completely happy again, he did feel better knowing that it was out of his control.

Oddly enough, Sokka had even begun to think about girls he stood a chance with now that he was single. He felt like a jerk for thinking such things so soon after the breakup, but he couldn't help it. He had met a few nice girls along the way, and in his mind he cycled through them, trying to decide which one he liked best. Some names faded away from his thoughts, while some names popped up more often than others. But there was one name, one face that he kept coming back to. He told himself not too, told himself how dumb it was. But every time, that face would come up again. And it didn't help that the girl he was thinking of was sitting on his bed right then, only a wall separating them.

But the strange part was that the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. She wasn't some fuss girl who loathed the very thought of dirt or adventure. Toph loved having fun and taking risks as much as, or even more than Sokka did. When he was around her, he didn't have to put up any kind of front. With Suki, he always felt like he had to prove himself to her. But around Toph, he could just loosen up and not have to worry about being judged. But then he thought about how silly the idea of dating her was. There was no way she could ever like him…

He would have gone on thinking about her, but right then, Toph called from the other room.

"Move it Snoozles! I can feel that your feet aren't moving!" She chuckled.

Sokka half groaned, half laughed at Toph. He thought about how unfair it was that she could still "see" him from another room away and smiled. Just to get back at her, he stomped his feet all around the bathroom.

"Could you see that?" He asked with a sly smile.

Toph laughed loudly and said "Come on you goof, get finished up so we can go!"

Sokka quickly finished trying up his hair, and then he and Toph headed down to the station and got on the train to the Ba Sing Se Zoo.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Toph and Sokka waited at the station for the train to arrive. The platform was almost deserted, since most people were too busy celebrating the end of the war at home or in various public squares, and so the train heading outside of the walls was barely being used.

When the train rumbled into the station and came to a halt, they both stepped into the nearest car. The car they happened to choose was totally empty except for the two of them, so they sat down across the aisle from each other. Toph was the first to strike up conversation as the train left the station and made its way out of the city.

"So is this your first time going to a zoo Sokka?"

"Yeah" he laughed, "There aren't a whole lot of zoos down at the South Pole."

Toph chuckled a bit and said "Yeah, I figured as much."

She would have said more, but she was too lost in thought to keep up small talk. Ironically, the guy she was talking to was the whole reason she had been lost in thought. Ever since they had met, Toph and Sokka had been great friends. But for Toph, the feelings were a bit different. She had always found herself attracted to him, but save for the occasional well-hidden blush, she never let anyone know. He was already a great friend who was fun to hang out with, but she saw even more beyond that. She knew that behind the sarcasm and humor, he really was a kind and understanding guy, which was a rare sight. But he had never seemed to pay any attention to her other than as a friend, so she had kept her feelings for him under wraps. After the events of the last couple days though, the romantic flame inside Toph began to burn brighter.

On the Fire Nation airship, Sokka had risked his life for her. If it weren't for him catching her, she would have plummeted to her death. In that instant, he was her entire world. She had always taken in the world around her mostly through touch and hearing. During the battle, all she could hear in the world was the sound of fighting and terror. But his hand was her only ink to the physical world. As she dangled below the airship, soldiers closing in on them, and survival seemingly impossible, his strong hand holding tight to hers was her one source of peace. Despite all the uncertainty and chaos in the world, Toph knew that Sokka would always be there for her with a helping hand, ready to risk his life for her, and to be a source of stability for her.

The trouble was, even if she thought of it as an act of love, she knew deep down that to him, he was just saving a friend. That's all she would ever be to him, his friend. Sure, maybe even his best friend, but she wanted more than that. But Toph had resigned herself to her fate as being eternally friend-zoned.

What drove her mad though wasn't just that her feelings for Sokka had recently grown even more, but also that it coincided with him becoming available after his break-up with Suki. She knew that she might not get another chance like this again. She was sure he only liked her as a friend, but for her, it was worth a shot. But on the other hand, she didn't want to jeopardize her friendship by asking and him rejecting her. She had no idea where to go from here. Without her realizing it, as she was racking her brain over what to do, a single tear appeared in the corner of her eye and then slid down her face.

Sokka immediately noticed this, and his face instantly took on a look of concern and slight confusion.

"Toph? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

At this, Toph snapped back to reality. She realized she was crying, and hurriedly wiped the tear away.

She fumbled over her own words "Oh, um, uh, I wasn't, um, oh nothing." She then turned her body so Sokka would have a harder time seeing her face. However, Sokka then got out of his seat and sat down next to Toph.

"C'mon Toph, I know you're lying. What's going on here?"

She didn't move at all as she let out a sigh and muttered "Oh, I was just thinking about something, it's no big deal."

At this point, Sokka knew that he needed to get through to her. So he grabbed her shoulders, turned her so she was facing him, and pulled her in for a hug. But before he could fully wrap his arms around her, she pushed her way out of his reach and sat on the other side of the aisle, where she then began crying even more.

"No Sokka, I just can't talk about it, not with you."

Sokka leaned back in his seat, trying to understand what she was saying.

"What are you implying?" He asked. "What did I do wrong?" He was honestly worried that he had accidentally offended her in some way.

"It's not something you did, it's what you _didn't_ do." Toph already knew she had said too much, but it was too late now.

"Wait, what are you talking about? What was I supposed to do?" He asked.

Toph mentally braced herself for what was to come. "It's just… I like you. And I mean as in I 'like you' like you. But, you've always been with Suki since I met you, so I was used to hiding my feelings. But now you're not with her, and I just don't know what to do. It's hopeless anyways, I know you would never like me!" She buried her face in her hands and kept on crying.

Without even thinking, Sokka got up and sat next to Toph again, and pulled her into a big hug. Only this time, she had given up trying to fight. She just wanted someone to be there for her right now, no matter who it was. She just leaned up against him and kept crying. Sokka held her close as he processed everything he had just heard.

He had always had a little thing for Toph ever since he had first met her. She was definitely one of those girls that rarely comes along in life. But he had never thought that she could have liked him too, nor had he thought of what to do in that situation.

"Hey Toph" He said.

She quickly regained a bit of her composure before replying "Yeah?"

"Um, I uh, sorta like you too." He said as his cheeks turned a noticeable shade of red.

Toph immediately froze, trying to make sure she wasn't hearing things.

"You… you do?" She asked?

"Yeah, always have." He said with a small grin.

Toph paused for a moment as a smile spread across her face, and she wiped away her tears. She then quickly turned around and threw her arms around him as she started giggling a bit. Sokka, at first caught off guard by this, wrapped his arms around her and started laughing too. After a moment, they let go of each other, and Toph sat back down right next to Sokka.

"So Snoozles, I think now is the part where you ask me on a date." She laughed.

"Oh yeah, right." He stammered. His head was still reeling with what had just happened. "Well, since we're already heading to the zoo, why don't we just make that a date?" He smiled.

Toph laughed, and then sweetly said "I'd like that."

A moment later, the train pulled into the station right by the Ba Sing Se Zoo.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The doors of train car slid open.

"After you ma'am!" Sokka said with a flourish and an exaggerated bow.

Toph laughed and replied with a curtsey "Why thank you my good sir!"

They were smiling and walking together as they reached the ticket booth. When they got up to window, Toph began to pull out her coin purse. But before she could take anything out of it, Sokka grabbed onto her wrist to stop her.

"Nuh uh, it's my treat!" He said, grinning.

She smiled and said "Sokka, you know I'm not a princess, right?"

Sokka gave her a side hug with one arm as he said "I know that, but that doesn't mean I can't treat you like one."

Toph blushed more than she ever had before in her life. She had been treated like a princess her whole life, and had always hated it. She despised people treating her special just because she was a small blind girl from a rich family. But Sokka was different. He gave her special treatment not because of her background, but because he cared for her. Right then, she knew for sure that no other guy in the world could come close to how great he was.

As they walked into the zoo, Toph did something Sokka never expected. Something she thought she would never get to do. She reached out and took his hand in hers. Immediately, her whole body was filled with the greatest indescribable warmth. Right now, she was not only the most powerful earthbender in the world, but also the world's happiest girl.

At first, Sokka was a bit startled by the unexpected contact. He had never thought he would get to hold hands with her, let alone so soon. Once his initial surprise passed though, he smiled and placed his fingers in between hers, and held her hand firmly but gently.

Right now, neither of them could ask for anything else in the world. When they were with each other, hand in hand, the world around them didn't matter, and all their problems faded away. Both of them had someone who cared for them not because of where they were from or what they had done, but for who they are.

They spent the rest of the day walking around the zoo and having fun together. During almost all of the entire day, and during the train ride back and the walk back to Toph's house, they never let go of each other's hands. The sun was just setting as they got to Toph's door, and neither of them wanted to leave.

"I had a really great time today Sokka." Toph said with a gentle smile. She took her other hand into her free hand, and turned her face upwards so that he could see her face clearly.

Sokka grinned and said "I did too!" Then he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as he asked "So, do you wanna do another activity sometime soon?"

Toph laughed and gave him a light punch on the arm. "It's called a 'date', and yes, I'd love to."

Sokka visibly relaxed, and smiled, saying "Well I'm heading down to visit the South Pole tomorrow. Would you like to come with?"

Toph jumped up and wrapped her arms around Sokka's neck in a hug, saying "Sounds perfect!"

He smiled and said "Great! I'll pick you up early tomorrow so we can catch the express airship in time!" He lifted her off of his shoulders and gently lowered her to the ground. "But in the meantime, you should probably get some sleep!"

Toph sarcastically pouted and said "Alright, fine. I'll see you tomorrow Captain Boomerang." She smiled and turned to open her door.

At the last minute though, Sokka cried out "Wait!" and he grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. He pulled her close to him, and in one fell swoop, closed his eyes and planted his lips against hers. Her eyes shot open for a moment, and then fluttered shut. A warm tingling sensation spread throughout both of their bodies. They wrapped their arms around each other, she leaned into him. Despite the height difference, their bodies seemed to melt into one. The kiss only lasted fifteen seconds at most, but it felt like hours to them, the best hours of their lives.

Finally, their lips slowly separated. They both were blushing, with smiles stretching across their faces.

"That… That was great." Sokka managed to stammer. He had been ready for the kiss, but he had never had a kiss that felt that perfect.

Toph was at a complete loss for words. She had never been kissed before, and part of her had believed that no man would ever want to kiss her. She had never felt anything that even came close to what she had just felt. And to top it all off, the man on the other end of kiss was the man she had always dreamt of kissing. After she managed to collect her thoughts enough, she did the only thing she could think to do. She jumped up on him and gave him a kiss back. After the kiss finally ended, she didn't let go of him, but instead laid her head on his shoulder.

Sokka chuckled and said "I guess this makes me your boyfriend now?"

At this, Toph giggled and buried her face in his neck. "Yep, and it makes me the happiest girl in the world."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Toph and Sokka held hands as they trudged through the snow from the airship to the gates of Sokka's village. They had traveled overnight on the express airship to get here. Toph had never been anywhere cold in her life, so she was unprepared for the freezing weather. Luckily, Sokka had an old fur parka that he had outgrown a couple years ago, and it was a perfect fit for Toph. Still, as they marched through the snow, she was leaning up against him. It was partly because she loved the feeling of leaning on him, but mostly because she wanted to warm up.

When they reached the closed gate to the village, a young boy on top of the wall shouted "Halt!"

Sokka looked up at the child, who was acting as a sentry and guard. He immediately recognized him, and then smiled and said "Hey there Kedo!"

Kedo stared intently at Sokka for a moment before he realized who it was. He had a goofy childish smile on his face as he waved frantically "Sokka, you're back!"

Sokka laughed and said "Yeah, I'm back! Do you still need to use the bathroom?"

Kedo blushed and scratched his head. "No."

He still remembered how Sokka would get frustrated with him during training because he always had to go to the bathroom. But a moment later, he was all smiles again when he asked "Who's that with you Sokka?"

Upon hearing this, Toph pulled down the hood of the parka and smiled in the direction of the boy's voice.

"This is Toph, my, special friend." Sokka said with a smile. He made sure to emphasize the last two words, so that Kedo easily knew what he was implying.

Kedo grinned and said "Ahh. Ok, I'll let you two lovebirds in."

At this, Toph lovingly punched Sokka on the shoulder.

He turned, leaned over the inner side of the wall, and whistled. The gates swung open, and Toph and Sokka began walking towards the open square in the middle of the village. While he was walking, Sokka briefly let go of Toph's hand to adjust his boomerang pouch. The moment his hand left hers, though, Toph instantly froze in her steps and shot her arms out for something to hold on to as her whole body tensed. When Sokka saw this, he immediately grabbed onto her and pulled her to his chest.

"Are you alright Toph?" He asked with a slightly scared tone in his voice.

Once she felt Sokka's arms around her, and felt the warmth of his body against her, her muscles relaxed and she smiled. "Yeah, I'm ok. It's just that I can barely feel vibrations in the ice with my feet, so I can barely see. That's why I gotta hang on to you."

She then reached up and pulled his head down so she could land a kiss on his cheek. Sokka smiled, and then kissed her gently on the lips.

"So don't let go of me again, got it?" She said sarcastically as she punched him on the arm.

"Understood." He said as he smiled and rubbed the spot on his arm that Toph had hit.

"So why don't we head back to my place to warm up and hang out until the big dinner tonight?" He asked. He had sent a message ahead earlier that he would be returning home, so the village elders had planned a feast to honor his return.

"Anything is good with me, especially if it involves warmth!" She said.

As soon as they walked inside the empty house, Sokka immediately grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around himself and Toph. She sighed and snuggled up to him as they sat down together on the one large chair in the room. He brushed her bangs out of the way as he kissed her lightly on the forehead. She returned the favor with a long kiss on his lips.

After their lips finally separated, Toph pulled herself against him even more snugly and laid her head on his chest. All her world right now was the smell of food cooking in other houses, the smell of his skin, the warmth of his body next to hers, and the sound of his heart beating. And there was nowhere else she would rather be but here, cuddling with the greatest man in her world.

"So, is this all you guys do for fun around here, or is there more?" She smiled, and then added, "Not that I'm not having fun right now."

He laughed and said "Well, there isn't a whole lot, but penguin sledding is always fun!"

Toph's head shot up. "Penguin sledding? That sounds awesome!"

"Yeah, it's so much fun!" Sokka said.

He paused a moment and then asked "Do you want to go try it? We've got enough time!"

She jumped up and shouted with a smile "Well what are we waiting for?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After about half an hour of climbing, Toph and Sokka made it to the top of the small icy mountain. It wasn't the biggest mountain he had slid down before, but this was his first time doing it while sharing a penguin, so he wanted to be safe. He took the penguin that he had caught at the bottom of the mountain and laid it down on the ice. Sokka then guided Toph and helped her sit down on the penguin. He then sat down behind her and reached around her to grab hold of a pair of the penguin's wings.

"You ready Toph?" He asked as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I was born ready!" She said gleefully and quickly kissed him on the lips.

With that, Sokka dug his feet into the snow and pushed them down the hill. They quickly picked up speed as they began racing down the hill, the wind blowing back their hair and stinging their faces. They simultaneously let out whoops and shouts of excitement.

As they flew across the snow, Toph thought about how great her life was. In the past few months, she had made friends, gotten away from her controlling parents, and helped save the world. And now, here she was speeding down a hill on a penguin, having the time of her life, and with Sokka's arms around her, keeping her safe. And it was right then that she knew he would never let go of her. He would always be there for her, no matter what happened. He'd always be there for her, guiding her and helping her through life, like a light in the darkness. And she loved him. She knew that she loved him with all her heart, and she knew that he loved her too.

Toph didn't have much more time to think about that, though, as the slope was getting more treacherous. Sokka banked left to avoid one rock, and then made a hard turn right to avoid another. They then went through a tunnel in the ice, and Sokka weaved side to side through it. As they reached the end of the tunnel though, he saw the small ramp-like outcrop of rock covered in snow. There was no way he would be able to steer around it, they would just have to jump and hope for the best.

They flew off the ramp, and even Toph could sense that they were airborne. In a split second, Sokka grabbed onto Toph, spun her around, held her tight to his chest, and then released the penguin from between his knees. They flew through the air for only a second or two, their legs flailing wildly, but it felt much longer.

Luckily, they landed in a very soft bank of snow, and they were both shaken up a little, but otherwise unharmed. A moment later, they heard the penguin they had been riding land in the same snow drift a few feet from them, and then heard it dig itself out and shuffle away.

"Oh wow, that was crazy! Are you ok Toph?" Sokka asked, his voice filled with both excitement and concern.

She laughed and said "I'm fine. And that was so cool!"

She then rolled herself on top of him and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Sokka." She said quietly

"Yeah?" He replied.

"I, um, I…" She stammered as she buried her face in his neck

"Yes Toph?" He said, slightly concerned.

After a moment, she lifted her head up and said "I love you Sokka."

He froze, blinking a few times. Once his brain had processed what he just heard, he immediately put his hands behind Toph's head, and pulled her lips to his. At first, she tensed up from the surprise of the sudden kiss, but after a moment, her body melted into his and she deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around him. After a minute of kissing, their lips gently separated, but their faces were still only inches apart.

"I love you too Toph. And I always will." He whispered.

Toph's face lit up, and a smile spread across her face as she blushed. Well, I think we'd better head home, I'm starting to freeze!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

They arrived back at Sokka's house, and the sun was sinking lower on the horizon. As soon as they were inside, they quickly changed out of the clothes that had gotten soaked from the snow melting on them, and into some fresh, dry clothes. Once that was done, they lay down together on Sokka's bed and curled up under a blanket. Suddenly though, a thought crossed Toph's mind, and she felt the need to let it out.

"So, I think it's only fair since we're in love, I want to know what you look like." She said.

Sokka looked puzzled. How could a blind girl find out what he looked like?

"But, how?" He asked.

She shushed him gently and said "Just hold still and let me do what I need to do."

As Sokka closed his eyes and lay there, she gently placed her hands on his face, one on each side, right at his hairline. Her hands slowly began making their way down his face, noticing every little detail. First she noticed the somewhat rough texture of his face, no doubt caused by exposure over the years to the freezing winds. Next came his thin eyebrows. After that, his nose. Then, his thin but soft lips. Of course, she was already very familiar with them. Her hands then went to his ears, which were a bit big like Katara had always joked about, but she didn't mind. She ran her fingers slowly down his jaw line until they met at his chin. Finally, she reached her hands around behind his head and spread her fingers through his thick hair.

She pulled his head towards hers and pressed their lips together.

"You feel beautiful." She said while smiling.

"You are beautiful" He said as he kissed her playfully on the nose.

"Now come on" He said. "The big village dinner for us should be starting soon!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Toph and Sokka made their way through the snow to the large igloo that served as the village gathering place. They could both smell the aromas of all the foods that were being prepared for the feast. As the two walked hand-in-hand through the door, they were met with an outburst of cheering and applause. Sokka was immediately pulled away from Toph, as everyone in the room wanted to shake his hand and hear all of his war stories. Toph managed to find a wall to lean against, since Sokka had been yanked away from her. She begrudgingly made small talk with a few of the guests, sharing her experiences during the war.

After around half an hour of this, Sokka managed to make his way back to Toph. It was time to sit down for dinner, so Sokka took her hand and began to lead Toph to her seat. However, right as they got to the table, one of the guests stole Toph's seat next to Sokka in order to have the honor of sitting next to the famous Water Tribe warrior. They both sighed, and not wanting to cause a scene, Toph took a seat as close as she could to Sokka.

The dinner and conversation wore on into the night. Everyone there had a million questions to ask Sokka about his travels. It wasn't often that a member of the tribe left the South Pole, so this was a rare occasion to learn more about the rest of the world. Sokka, of course, gladly answered all of their questions and gave them his elaborate and sometimes over-dramatic recounts of his adventures. After about an hour and a half of this, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something that caught his attention. He had just glimpsed Toph as she carefully made her way outside. Without even excusing himself, he got up from the table and went outside after her.

"Toph, wait!" He called after her. As he caught up to her, she stopped walking, and he put his arm around her shoulder. Strangely though, he didn't feel her lean into him like she usually did. "Where were you headed?" He asked.

"Oh, I was just going back to the house." She mumbled.

"I'm not buying it." He said in a half joking manner. "You know you can always tell me anything, so tell me what's up."

She sighed, and then said "I just, I didn't like not being able to be with you. Everyone was so busy dragging you around and talking to you, while I was left standing on my own."

Sokka gave her a kiss on the forehead and said "I'm really sorry Toph, I didn't want that to happen, but there was just so much going on, and I got so caught up in all of it, and…" He trailed off for a moment before hugging her tightly and saying "I love you, and I always will."

She giggled and hugged him back as she said "I was never mad at you Snoozles, so there's no need to apologize! But thanks anyways. And I love you too."

Sokka laughed as he picked her up a bit, and then gave her a kiss. She returned the favor by pulling his head back towards her, and she pressed her lips tightly against his.

After their lips separated a few seconds later, Sokka gently set Toph back on her feet. She smiled and kept her arms wrapped around him.

"It's almost dark." Sokka said. "We should get going home now."

"Lead the way!" Toph said with a smile.

When they made it back to Sokka's house, they both headed straight for the warmth and comfort of his bed. Toph lay next to Sokka, her head resting on his shoulder. Sokka had her arm gently held in one of his hands.

"Goodnight Toph." He said, leaning his head up and over to place a kiss on her lips.

"Goodnight Sokka." She replied as she snuggled up against him. Soon, the two were both fast asleep, each of them content to simply be near each other.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sokka was the first to wake the next morning. He yawned and blinked his eyes a few times as his mind began waking up as well. After a moment, he looked down at Toph, who was still asleep. She had one hand on his chest, and her other arm was behind Sokka's head. Her hair was out of its usual bun, and now lay in dark waves around her head and across his chest. Sokka just lay there and smiled as he watched her chest gently rise and fall with each breath. With her body pressed up against his side for warmth, he could faintly feel Toph's heart beating in a steady rhythm.

Sokka smiled as he gently pulled aside her hair so that he could see her face. He looked down at the beautiful woman he loved, and knew that he couldn't imagine life without her. He was lucky not only to have her as a lover, but as a best friend too.

Just then, her head stirred as she began to wake up. She stretched out her free arm as she yawned, and then she wrapped her arm back around Sokka and snuggled up closer to him.

"Good morning." She said into his chest.

"It's always a good morning if you're here." He said as he smiled and gently ran his fingers through her hair. Toph shivered when a freezing draft hit her feet, and she pulled them up under the blankets.

"Why do you have to live somewhere so cold?" She asked.

Sokka just laughed and said "Well at least we've got each other to help stay warm." He kissed her lovingly.

"Good point." She murmured as she kissed him back.

"How about we go get some breakfast?" She asked.

"That sounds good with me!" He exclaimed. "Besides, we gotta get to the airship soon and head back to Ba Sing Se." He said.

With that, they got up out of the bed. Toph began to pack up her things, while Sokka headed off into the kitchen to make some breakfast for the two of them.

Later that day, the two walked hand-in-hand through the gates and out of the village towards the waiting airship. The whole village was there to give them the biggest sendoff they could manage. As Toph and Sokka reached the top of the metal ramp into the ship, Toph stopped them and pulled Sokka's head down to give him a tender kiss. Their lips were still locked as the metal ramp swung up to close the entrance, and the ship began to lift off of the ground.


End file.
